BarakahGrid UK Pilot Grant Proposal – 2 Nodes

[BarakahGrid]

Summary

We request a $12,000 grant to deploy a 2-node GPU pilot in the UK (FlameVilla, Tunbridge Wells).
This pilot will demonstrate revenue generation, compute uptime, and surplus heat reuse. We will use industry-standard hardware, measure performance, and publish results as a replicable blueprint for Akash and the wider DePIN ecosystem.

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Rationale

The Akash community has voiced concerns about treasury spending without measurable ROI. This proposal directly addresses those concerns:

Compute Data → Revenue earned per node, uptime %, workloads fulfilled.

Energy Data → Power draw vs yield (kWh consumed vs $ earned).

Impact Data → Surplus GPU heat reused for heating and hot water in a flat above a restaurant.

This is not a one-off spend, but a deploy-once, prove-and-document pilot with a clear blueprint for scaling into masjids, restaurants, and housing blocks.

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Hardware & Components

Node Setup (per node)

GPU: NVIDIA RTX A4000 or RTX 3090 (24GB VRAM) – balance of price, availability, and Akash workload compatibility.

CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 5900X (12-core) or Intel i9-12900K.

Motherboard: ASUS Pro WS X570-ACE or equivalent workstation board with PCIe 4.0.

RAM: 64GB DDR4 (Corsair Vengeance or G.Skill).

Storage: 2TB NVMe SSD (Samsung 980 Pro or WD Black SN850).

PSU: Corsair RM1000x 1000W Platinum-rated.

Chassis: Mid-tower workstation case with airflow (Fractal Design Meshify 2).

Cooling: Noctua air coolers + additional case fans.

Shared Infrastructure (both nodes)

Networking: 1GbE switch + Cat6 cabling.

UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply): APC 2200VA (for stability + uptime).

Heat Capture System:

Industrial ducting + insulated piping (to channel GPU exhaust into flat).

Heat exchanger unit + circulation pump for hot water option.

Digital temperature sensors for monitoring.

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Scope of Work (90 Days)

Phase 1 – Setup (Weeks 1–3)

Deploy 2 GPU nodes in FlameVilla upper-floor room.

Fit ducting/heat exchanger for surplus heat capture.

Configure nodes for Akash marketplace deployment.

Phase 2 – Data Collection (Weeks 4–9)

Track: uptime, workloads, revenue earned, power draw.

Monitor: heat reuse impact (room temp rise, hot water offset).

Publish weekly updates to Akash forums.

Phase 3 – Report (Weeks 10–12)

Publish a Pilot Case Study Report (PDF + photos).

Deliver metrics on ROI, energy, and heat offset.

Present blueprint for scaling into 5–10 nodes in UK/Dubai.

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Budget (5 Months Ops)

2 x NVIDIA GPUs (A4000/3090) = $3,000

2 x CPUs (Ryzen 9 / i9) = $1,000

2 x Motherboards (Workstation-class) = $700

RAM (2 × 64GB kits) = $700

Storage (2 × 2TB NVMe SSDs) = $400

PSUs (2 × 1000W Platinum) = $500

Chassis, fans, cooling = $400

Networking (switch, cables) = $300

UPS unit = $500

Heat capture (ducting, exchanger, sensors) = $1,000

Electricity (5 months) = $2,500

Hosting environment overhead (5 months) = $2,000

Ops + Monitoring labor = $2,000

Total = $12,000

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Deliverables

2 fully operational Akash GPU nodes.

Transparent weekly data: uptime %, workloads, revenue, energy draw, heat offset.

Pilot Report: documented case study with photos, metrics, and replication guide.

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Impact

Proves Akash nodes can operate sustainably in high-cost energy markets (UK).

Demonstrates dual-use compute (revenue + heating/hot water).

Creates a flagship community pilot countering “grants without ROI.”

Establishes a scalable model for masjids, restaurants, and housing blocks worldwide.

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Request

We respectfully request a $12,000 grant to execute this 2-node UK pilot at FlameVilla.
This proposal is designed to be low-cost, high-evidence, and outcome-driven, delivering measurable results for the Akash community.

[shimpa1]

hi @BarakahGrid ,

There's already a number of similar providers on chain.
What I don't understand is:

• why would the community fund this and not you?
• what did you do to contribute to Akash so far?

thank you,

[BarakahGrid]

Appreciate your time, @shimpa1.
I’ve decided not to pursue community funding — BarakahGrid will continue privately as a self-funded deployment.
Wishing the Akash ecosystem continued growth and success.